Too many lies and broken ties
by Bright4286
Summary: Aftermath of civil war. Tony finds Clint after Cap broke him out of prison; arguments ensue, words are exchanged, and betrayal is confronted. Much better than the summary suggests. Clintcentric
1. Chapter 1

_Hey guys! I had this idea after watching Civil War a while back and I've finally gotten around to writing it. I definitely felt like there would've been tons of issues after Cap rescued the four from prison and I wish they would've incorporated something like this into the movie, but oh well. I really enjoyed writing this and I hope you like it so enjoy!_

 _disclaimer: I own nothing but my imagination_

* * *

I sit on the cot in my cell staring down at my hands, trying to forget everything that's happened. Sam and Scott were both in their cells, but I hadn't even caught a glimpse of Wanda since we arrived and, frankly, I'm starting to get a little worried. My eyes wander to the blue prison uniform that I'm currently wearing, the thin fabric scattering any hope I'd had of putting any of this behind me.

"Looks like I'm one of the bad guys now." I say quietly. It shouldn't be anything new, if my time in the circus was any indication I should've landed in one of these a long time ago. I quickly shake the thoughts from my mind, that was a long time ago. That's not me anymore. My thoughts are suddenly interrupted by the familiar sound of a certain billionaire's voice. I let out a scoff and begin to clap loudly, anger boiling in me.

"The Futurist, gentlemen! The Futurist is here! He sees all! He knows what's best for you, whether you like it or not!" I scowl as Tony finally comes into view, donning a black eye and a sling on his arm. I clench my fists tightly.

"Give me a break Barton, I had no idea they'd put you in here." Stark frown at me. I roll my eyes.

"Yeah well, you knew they'd put us somewhere, Tony." The man in front of me waves his arm slightly, gesturing to our surroundings.

"Yeah but not some super-max, floating ocean pokey. You know, this is a place for maniacs, this is a place for..." I stand to my feet and lean my hands against the clear wall.

"Criminals. Criminals, Tony. I think that's the word you're looking for, right?" I look away slightly. "It didn't use to mean me or Sam or Wanda, but here we are." Tony edges closer.

"Because you broke the law."

"Yeah." I don't sugar coat it, I just nod.

"I didn't make you."

"La, la, la, la, la.." I'm in no mood for his "we need to be kept in check speech" and I quickly try to block him out.

"You're all grown up, you got a wife and kids. I don't understand, why didn't you think about them before you chose the wrong side?" Rage fills me and I glare at him and boy if looks could kill, Tony would be dead three times over. He starts to walk away and I can't contain my anger.

"You better watch your back with this one." I walk my hands against the wall. "There's a chance he might break it!" Stark throws a horrified glance at me before slowly walking away, leaving me alone once again. I sit back down on my cot and stare at the wall, trying to figure out where everything went wrong.

* * *

It's only two days after Tony's visit when Steve arrives at the prison and releases Sam, Scott, Wanda and I. I've never been more relieved to see Captain America but, at the same time, I've never been more filled with dread. It should never have come to this. I quickly shake my head to clear my thoughts and follow Steve out to where a Quinjet is waiting. Even with the joy of our escape I can't help but notice the sullen faces that adorn the other former prisoners. Sam's eyes look vacant and I can't look past how Wanda flinches every time someone moves too quickly or gets too close. My hands clench as I make my way onto the plane and we take off to who knows where. I glance back one last time before turning to look ahead, finally leaving The Raft behind.

* * *

FOUR MONTHS LATER.

I sigh as I pour yet another glass of whiskey into the cup in front of me and bring it to my lips, downing the drink in one swallow. Almost immediately I refill the glass. I'm about to empty its contents once again, when there's a knock at the door. I shuffle to the entrance and slowly open the door, revealing a man with dark hair and a beard. My blood boils at the sight of him.

"What the hell are you doing here Stark?" I growl. The man raises his hands in surrender.

"Relax, I just want to talk." I shake my head.

"Not interested." I go to slam the door but Stark's foot is wedged between the it and the frame. "Move. Now." Venom drips from my words but he shakes his head.

"Just let me explain."

"I don't need your explanation. You turned your back on me, that's all there is to it."

"Barton, please, just listen for a minute!" Something about the look in his eyes convinces me to open the door, albeit reluctantly.

"Alright, you're here. Now talk, before I change my mind." I make my way back over to the counter to where the whiskey bottle is waiting, intent on finishing my drink.

"I'm sorry." The words fly from his mouth so suddenly that at first I don't think I heard him right.

"What?" The billionaire sighs and takes a step towards me, and I step back in return. He frowns.

"I said I'm sorry. What happened four months ago, I should've know where you'd end up." I snort.

"Well that's one thing we agree on." I say sarcastically. Tony frowns.

"It's not my fault that you chose the wrong side, Clint, so I'd appreciate it if you'd stop acting like it was." And there's the old Tony, all traces of an apology gone and replaced by arrogance.

"What makes you so sure that I chose the wrong side, huh? Did you ever think that maybe, just maybe, you were wrong? I mean think about it, you caused everyone around you so much pain, while Cap at least tried to hole everything together. He even came back for us when you threw Sam, Wanda, and I into a super-max prison!" Stark throws his hands in the air.

"Well where is he now? Running around calling himself a hero while at the same time he's trying to keep from paying for his crimes. He's a fugitive. At least I'm trying to return the team to some kind of normalcy. I'm attempting to go back to the way things were, the way they should be." I slam my hand holding the whiskey on the counter, sending shards of glass spraying across the area and splashing my once full drink all over the smooth surface.

"Things will never go back to the way they were, Tony! Do you have any idea what you did to us? Do you?" I search his face for any sign that he knows what happened, I find nothing. I holler in anger. "You made Wanda think she was a monster! Destroyed Sam and Scott's lives! You turned me back into a criminal! Do you have any idea how long I've tried to leave that behind me? But, noooo, the one time I disagree with you, you bring every bit of it back. You made me believe that I was the bad guy all over again."

"Clint you know that was never my intention. I was only trying to.."

"Of course that was never your intention!" I say cutting him off. "You only put us in prison, threw us to the wolves." For a while both of us are silent. Finally I turn to him.

"Do you know what they did to me? They took me into a dark room, everyday, for 'enhanced interrogation'. They beat me until every inch of my body was covered in blood, then they'd send me to the infirmary and get me patched up so they could do it all again tomorrow. When that got boring they started using cattle prods and knives." I pull down the collar of my shirt to reveal the ugly white scar that still remained after my last visit. "And that was nothing new to me, but I never thought the people I trusted would be the same people that put me there." Another long silence fills the room and it stretches on for several minutes but I refuse to let Stark leave without hearing the worst part of what his actions caused. I take a deep breath and turn to him. The man gives me a concerned glance.

"Did you know that I can never see my kids again?" A shocked expression adorns his face at my words. "I'm a fugitive now, which means that any contact I have with my family could put them in danger. So I put them in Fury's old S.H.I.E.L.D protection program, he promised me a long time ago that if anything ever happened he'd keep them safe." I search for any trace of regret in the man's features and I look away when I see the pain on his face. Nevertheless, I continue. "I won't be there for Nathaniel's second birthday, or for Laura and mine's anniversary. I'll never be able to teach Cooper how to shoot a bow, or scare off Lila's first boyfriend." I frown, actually voicing these thoughts feels as if it's actually turning into reality, like I'm finally admitting it to not only Tony but myself as well. "I won't be able to watch them grow up." Sorrow overcomes the billionaire's features.

"Clint I'm so sorry, I never."

"I don't want your apology, Stark." I cut him off bitterly. "Not anymore." He opens his mouth to try and say something but I shake my head. "Get out."

"Clint, I..."

"I said get out!" My hands clench into fists and I whirl on the other man. He hangs his head and slowly makes his way towards the exit. He opens the door and just before he walks out, he casts one last glance at me.

"I really am sorry, Clint." And with that my former friend closes the door and leaves. My breath comes in ragged gasps and I run a hand through my hair, a stinging sensation crosses over my palm as soon as it touches my head. Confused I pull my hand in front of my face to discover a gnash running across my flesh, oozing blood. I glance over at my counter and see the shards of glass still littering the surface. I must've cut it when I slammed the drink down, but I must've been to enraged to notice. I make my way to the bathroom in a daze and pull out the first side kit. Carefully I pull out the bandages and wrap them around my hand before heading back into the living room. I look at the door and suddenly the full weight to my situation comes crashing down on me. My knees give out and I fall to the floor, heartbroken. A single tear rolls down my cheek before dripping off of my chin. I bite back a cry and slam my hand on the ground in defeat. I grab one of the glasses off of the coffee table in front of me and hurl it across the room, watching as it crashes against the wall and shatters into a million pieces. I can't contain it any longer and I let out agonizing scream. My voice cracks and I can barely hold back the tears that are threatening to spill down my cheeks. A cry escapes me and I collapse onto the floor, my body wracked with silent sobs. I stay this way for a long time and eventually doze off, hoping that I'll wake up and this will all have been just another nightmare. My heart breaks hours later when I wake up and realize that it's real.

* * *

 _Well that was certainly eventful now wasn't it? I really hope you enjoyed the story, it's my first try at a one shot so... anyway I was thinking about doing a companion piece to this that would deal with Clint, Wanda, Sam, and maybe Scott's experiences in the prison, what do you think? Please leave a review and let me know if anyone would be interested in reading that type of story. Also feel free to leave suggestions as to what I should use in the story if you like the idea. Reviews are welcome and greatly appreciated._


	2. Chapter 2

_Hey guys! So I know that the last chapter was kind of a bummer, but here's a continuation for those of you who wanted to see some sort of happy ending. I would like to thank macyluvsu for the inspiration for this chapter_

 _disclaimer: I own nothing but my imagination._

* * *

I don't know how long I've been sitting in the middle of my living room floor, staring blankly at the wall and clutching a now empty bottle whiskey to my chest, when my phone suddenly buzzes. At first I refuse to even look at it, thinking that maybe Tony got ahold of my new number and wants to "apologize" again. Curiosity causes me to finally pick up the device when it rings three more times. Much to my relief it's not the billionaire that visited earlier, but Scott. The man and I had become pretty good friends since we'd been thrown in prison, guess when you're both locked up in a super-max prison it's kinda hard to avoid. Well, that and the fact that Natasha had threatened to castrate him with a rusty spoon if he let me get myself killed before I got out. Apparently he was the only one she had gotten a chance to talk to before all of us had been locked up. I glance at the messages.

Scott: Stark just showed up at my apartment. -45 minutes ago

Scott: He tried to apologize, but he ended up insulting me more than anything. -32 minutes ago

Scott: He told me he already went to your house, hope it went better over there. -18 minutes ago.

Scott: He said you'd been drinking, are you ok. -10 minutes ago

Scott: If you don't answer me in five minutes I'm going to assume he killed you and I'm gonna come over there to clean up your body. -8 minutes ago.

Scott: Have it your way. -3 minutes ago.

As if in cue I hear a knock on the door but in my half drunken state I just don't have the motivation to stand up. Another knock, louder this time, sounds from outside but I still don't open the door. I hear a noise and turn around just in time to see Scott growing back to normal size after he'd shrank to crawl under the door.

"I don't remember letting you in." I retort dryly.

"Well, advantage of being the size of an ant, you can get in just about anywhere." He takes a seat next to me on the floor. There's a sad tone to his voice and even in my current drunken state I don't miss the sorrowful glance he gives the empty whiskey bottle in my hand. The man sighs. "You were doing better," He said motioning to the bottle. "what happened?" I scoff. After Cap broke us out of prison, I'd become somewhat of an alcoholic. It helped me forget about what happened, until I woke up the next day and everything came rushing back, even more painful than before.

"It's Lila's birthday today." A regretful smile adorns my face. "Every year Laura and I would take her to this little ice cream shop that an old friend of mine, Daisy, owned. She absolutely loved it, it was one of the few times that I actually got to be a normal dad." The corners of my lips turn down into a frown. "I'll never get to do that again." I pause, letting the words sink in. "I was handling it ok, then Stark showed up and brought all his burdens with him. The second he walked through that door all I could think about was the pain he'd put me through, put everyone through." Scott stiffens slightly. "I let him have it. I told him what all of his crap had done to me and when he tried to make excuses I kicked him out. I thought saying all of it loud might help get it off my chest, but honestly it only made it worse. One thing led to another and here I am." I say motioning to myself with the whiskey bottle still in my hand. Scott's eyes land on the pieces of shattered glass on the counter and by the wall, then on my bandaged hand.

"Clint, don't let him get to you. Once you start dwelling on what happened, it'll consume you until there's nothing left but hate, anger, and pain. That not what you want is it?" I shake my head. "That's what I thought."

"I just don't know if I can live without seeing my kids and my wife, they mean everything to me. I don't think I can give that up." My head droops and I let out a tired sigh.

"What if you didn't have to?" Scott's outburst has my head shooting up and I turn to him.

"What?" I ask suddenly very excited.

"What if you didn't have to give it up? When I got out of prison, well before I got thrown in super-max, I had to come up with some really creative ways to see my daughter, Cassie." He chuckles. "One time I tried to shrink down to get past her mom, but the cat found me and, let me tell you, I don't I've ever run so fast in my life. I thought it was gonna eat me." I can't help but smile at the thought of a tiny Scott running from a big fluffy cat, screaming at the top of his lungs. "Anyway I'm sure we could find a way to see your family." He pauses, somewhat lost in thought. "I've got it." He suddenly jumps to his feet, grabbing my arm and pulling me up in the process. He points to the bedroom. "Go make yourself presentable." I give him a confused look.

"What? Why?" He rolls his eyes.

"Because there's a certain little girl who deserves some ice cream, and I know just how to get it."

FOUR HOURS LATER

After a few adjustments, and some crash course lessons on Pym Particles, I'm standing outside my family's new house with a smile bigger than Texas on my face. I've already let Laura know that I'm coming, but I decided to keep it a surprise for the kids. I take a deep breath and press the button on my glove and suddenly the world around me gets super-sized as I shrink down. Carefully I make my way through the forest of grass and sticks that cover the yard and, after a few wrong turns, I'm on the porch. I throw one last glance at the surveillance team on the street that are keeping watch over the house, probably hoping that I'd be stupid enough to just walk right up to the door. A scoff escapes me and I turn back to the task at hand. I climb up the wall up onto the windowsill and crawl through the window that Laura so conveniently decided to leave open today. The second I'm inside I search for my family. I don't have to look long as I see Laura come walking in from another room.

"Laura!" I shout from my place on the sill. At first she looks confused but I quickly crawl down to the floor and return to my normal size. She hugs me tightly.

"I've missed you so much. How did you get that?' She asks motioning to the suit.

"A friend." I shrug. Suddenly an ear splitting screech echoes through the room and I turn just in time to see Lila, followed by Cooper and little Nathaniel, come sprinting towards me. A smile lights up my face at the sight of my kids and I wrap them up in my arms, never wanting to let go. I remember my reason for coming and I turn to Lila.

"I think it's someone's birthday today, but I just can't seem to remember who's it is?" I tap my head playfully. Lila giggles.

"Daddy, it's MY birthday!" She's says excitedly. I put on a look of mock shock.

"It is? Are you sure?"

"Yes!" I laugh at her antics and ruffle her hair.

"Well then I guess I owe you some ice cream don't I?" Her face lights up at the mention of the sweet treat and she nods her head. I look up at Laura. "Well then lets go! Mommy is gonna drive you, and I'll meet you there ok?" She gives me a quizzical look.

"Why can't you ride with us?" I give her an easy smile.

"Daddy has to do something first, but I promise I'll be there." She nods and my wife takes the kids to get ready to go. I give them one last smile before shrinking down and disappearing out the window. My journey through the yard is much easier than last time now that I've gotten a little more used to the suit and soon I'm standing outside a certain black sedan. I reach into my belt and pull out a small canister than Scott gave me and, with a smile, I throw it into the open car window. A few shouts are heard inside the vehicle but they quickly fade. I return to my normal height and peer into the sedan. The two agents who were watching the house are now unconscious, thanks to the knock out gas Scott gave me. Quickly I make my way to the car I left parked a few blocks away and begin making my way to the outskirts of town where the ice cream shop is located. After a good fifteen minutes I see the small sign on the side of the road and I pull into the dirt parking lot. I hop out of the car and smile when I realize Laura hasn't arrived yet.

"Looks like the kids still take forever to get ready." I chuckle to myself as I walk through the door. A woman with short, dark hair and brown eyes stands behind the counter of the mostly empty cafe. "Hey, Daisy." As soon as she hears my voice she spins around, a big grin on her face.

"Clint, it's so good to see you. You here for Lila's birthday?" She says making her way towards me. Her arms wrap around me in a hug and I return the gesture. I nod.

"Yeah. Good to see you too. Laura is bringing the kids in a few minutes and I could use a favor."

"Anything you need."

"As you know I don't get to see my family that much these days," she gives me a knowing look. "And I would really appreciate it if unwanted company didn't make an appearance." She nods at me and starts heading to the back, preparing to activate who knows what kind of S.H.I.E.L.D security system. I smile as she walks away and take a seat at the counter, waiting for my family to arrive. I don't have to wait long as I see Lila running up the steps, grinning at me through the glass door. She sprints inside, followed by Laura and the boys, and just about jumps into my lap.

"Hey, sweetheart! You ready for some ice cream?" She nods excitedly and begins chatting away about all the different flavors she's trying to decide between. My wife and the boys join us and I smile, glad that I can finally be a normal dad; even if it's only for a little while.

* * *

 _So that's it for Too Many Lies and Broken Ties, I really hope you enjoyed it! Thanks again to macyluvsu for the inspiration on this chapter._


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